We had the most spectacular stay at the Taj Bentota Resort and Spa during the February half term. It was a much needed relaxing break from the chaos of our lives amidst EHCP and projects we have going on!
Prior to leaving, I liaised with members of staff at the hotel via email to ensure our requirements were understood. They were really helpful and informative.
On arrival, after a two hour drive from the airport, guests are presented with a fresh flower garland and welcome drink by warm welcoming faces. Check in was quick and easy.
The hotel has lovely marble decor providing a cool and refreshing feel.
We stayed in a Junior Suite (room 309) and were instantly wowed. It was by far one of our favourite hotel rooms and we enjoyed relaxing in the spacious and airy room. There was a good sized living area which the boys loved chilling in between swimming sessions and dinner times. The large bedroom comfortably fit a cot and a comfy king sized bed and also had a private balcony. The bathroom was a good size and the shower pressure was brilliant – perfect for washing my thick hair! My only qualm for the suite was the lack of storage space for the four of us but I was really pleased with the dresser and ample space for make up and toiletries! The bedroom had a cot and baby bath tub ready for our arrival. There were plenty of plug socket points in the room. The huge balcony boasted a panoramic view of the beautiful sea and came equipped with two sunbeds and a sofa.
Room service were always very thorough with cleaning and once we’d informed them of our preferred times for our daily clean and turndown service, it was always done on time.
We celebrated our 8 year anniversary while away and were treated to a beautiful chocolate cake by the hotel. It was divine!
There is a buffet restaurant, The Palms, at the hotel as well as several speciality restaurants however we only dined at the buffet restaurant for ease with the kids. Breakfast is also served here. The breakfast selection was impressive and the food quality was brilliant. From masala dosas, to hashbrowns to aloo Puri to Gobi paratha to donuts and fruit … There is so so much to choose from!
On holiday I usually end up overindulging but this holiday as the quality was so so good, I found I’d eat less but enjoy it so much more.
Dinner at The Palms included such a great high quality variety. It wasn’t packed with non nutritious food like chips, pizza and pasta everyday. Instead we got to try many new dishes such as the Sri Lankan cuisine The boys are a whole variety of food while also being treated to their home comforts. The most delicious pudding for me was the hot chocolate dessert and the chocolate mousse – yum!
As well as the property itself being beautiful, it’s really important to note that several staff members made our stay really special. Head Chef, Dalip, couldn’t do enough to make our stay more perfect. He’d ask us daily what our children would like to eat and he took the stress out of meal times being a faff. He lovingly prepared them fresh food be it paratha or cheese dosa and meal times became like a home away from home. We were also treated to some spectacular dishes by Dalip including aloo papri chaat, fresh gajjar Ka halva and chilli paneer – they were absolutely delicious!
There were a few members of staff who seemed less than interested in their jobs and there was one incident where I requested a cup of tea three times and still didn’t receive it however the hospitality of the others mentioned more than made up for it!
It was by far one of our best holidays because there wasn’t much fuss food wise with the boys and it also helped that Saajan’s meal times have massively improved!
The swimming pool area was really pleasant. There is a large pool accompanied by a kids splash pool. Given we went during half term, I expected it to be very crowded but it didn’t feel too packed. Sampath ensured we had sunbeds daily and really took care of us – a true gem! Chamara was also really friendly and accommodating.
There was a really great balance of poolside entertainment and it wasn’t too intrusive – for example during the aqua aerobics class, there was no loud music blaring making it peaceful for those that were relaxing. Menaka was always a good laugh with hosting pool side entertainment.
The poolside menu was impressive and catered well to vegetarians from falafel wraps, to veggie burgers to Greek salads and pizzas. It wasn’t always easy to get hold of a waiter but once ordered, the wait time wasn’t too long. Our favourite and most helpful waiter was Roshan. He was always so jolly and kind despite working in such hot conditions. Again, Dalip was great at accomodating the boys if there was something they fancied that wasn’t included on the menu.
Bentota beach is really beautiful – miles of untouched sand however the sea is quite tough and the red flag is flying everyday due to a strong under current. There are no sunbeds at the beach by the Taj however you are able to hire them for a cost without an umbrella. The boys loved spending time at the beach building sandcastle.
Preetam and I managed to sneak in a date night – the perks of having the grandparents and masi to hand! We enjoyed a beautiful meal at Malli’s which is situated a short walking distance from the hotel. After, we enjoyed drinks and pool at the Tease Bar at the hotel.
There is not much to do in Bentota which was ok for us as we were after a relaxing holiday. A few of the outings we had included:
• Temple with a huge Buddha statue. It was impressive and about a 10 minute journey by tuk tuk.
• Turtle sanctuary which is a few kilometres walk along the beach. Arjun enjoyed this a lot.
• Bentota market – it’s a few shops selling similar items. We didn’t purchase anything.
• Bentota river boat cruise and saw a few crocs and held a baby crocodile.
Our time at the Taj Bentota was most definitely one of our most relaxing holidays. The casual dress code, delicious food, not being over packed and the friendly staff who went over and beyond for us made it what it was!
Disclosure: This is a collaboration post in exchange for a double upgrade however all views expressed are my own.
The Taj Bentota Resort & Spa Sri Lanka with Two Kids for February Half Term | Review
We had the most spectacular stay at the Taj Bentota Resort and Spa during the February half term. It was a much needed relaxing break from the chaos of our lives amidst EHCP and projects we have going on!
Prior to leaving, I liaised with members of staff at the hotel via email to ensure our requirements were understood. They were really helpful and informative.
On arrival, after a two hour drive from the airport, guests are presented with a fresh flower garland and welcome drink by warm welcoming faces. Check in was quick and easy.
The hotel has lovely marble decor providing a cool and refreshing feel.
We stayed in a Junior Suite (room 309) and were instantly wowed. It was by far one of our favourite hotel rooms and we enjoyed relaxing in the spacious and airy room. There was a good sized living area which the boys loved chilling in between swimming sessions and dinner times. The large bedroom comfortably fit a cot and a comfy king sized bed and also had a private balcony. The bathroom was a good size and the shower pressure was brilliant – perfect for washing my thick hair! My only qualm for the suite was the lack of storage space for the four of us but I was really pleased with the dresser and ample space for make up and toiletries! The bedroom had a cot and baby bath tub ready for our arrival. There were plenty of plug socket points in the room. The huge balcony boasted a panoramic view of the beautiful sea and came equipped with two sunbeds and a sofa.
Room service were always very thorough with cleaning and once we’d informed them of our preferred times for our daily clean and turndown service, it was always done on time.
We celebrated our 8 year anniversary while away and were treated to a beautiful chocolate cake by the hotel. It was divine!
There is a buffet restaurant, The Palms, at the hotel as well as several speciality restaurants however we only dined at the buffet restaurant for ease with the kids. Breakfast is also served here. The breakfast selection was impressive and the food quality was brilliant. From masala dosas, to hashbrowns to aloo Puri to Gobi paratha to donuts and fruit … There is so so much to choose from!
On holiday I usually end up overindulging but this holiday as the quality was so so good, I found I’d eat less but enjoy it so much more.
Dinner at The Palms included such a great high quality variety. It wasn’t packed with non nutritious food like chips, pizza and pasta everyday. Instead we got to try many new dishes such as the Sri Lankan cuisine The boys are a whole variety of food while also being treated to their home comforts. The most delicious pudding for me was the hot chocolate dessert and the chocolate mousse – yum!
As well as the property itself being beautiful, it’s really important to note that several staff members made our stay really special. Head Chef, Dalip, couldn’t do enough to make our stay more perfect. He’d ask us daily what our children would like to eat and he took the stress out of meal times being a faff. He lovingly prepared them fresh food be it paratha or cheese dosa and meal times became like a home away from home. We were also treated to some spectacular dishes by Dalip including aloo papri chaat, fresh gajjar Ka halva and chilli paneer – they were absolutely delicious!
There were a few members of staff who seemed less than interested in their jobs and there was one incident where I requested a cup of tea three times and still didn’t receive it however the hospitality of the others mentioned more than made up for it!
It was by far one of our best holidays because there wasn’t much fuss food wise with the boys and it also helped that Saajan’s meal times have massively improved!
The swimming pool area was really pleasant. There is a large pool accompanied by a kids splash pool. Given we went during half term, I expected it to be very crowded but it didn’t feel too packed. Sampath ensured we had sunbeds daily and really took care of us – a true gem! Chamara was also really friendly and accommodating.
There was a really great balance of poolside entertainment and it wasn’t too intrusive – for example during the aqua aerobics class, there was no loud music blaring making it peaceful for those that were relaxing. Menaka was always a good laugh with hosting pool side entertainment.
The poolside menu was impressive and catered well to vegetarians from falafel wraps, to veggie burgers to Greek salads and pizzas. It wasn’t always easy to get hold of a waiter but once ordered, the wait time wasn’t too long. Our favourite and most helpful waiter was Roshan. He was always so jolly and kind despite working in such hot conditions. Again, Dalip was great at accomodating the boys if there was something they fancied that wasn’t included on the menu.
Bentota beach is really beautiful – miles of untouched sand however the sea is quite tough and the red flag is flying everyday due to a strong under current. There are no sunbeds at the beach by the Taj however you are able to hire them for a cost without an umbrella. The boys loved spending time at the beach building sandcastle.
Preetam and I managed to sneak in a date night – the perks of having the grandparents and masi to hand! We enjoyed a beautiful meal at Malli’s which is situated a short walking distance from the hotel. After, we enjoyed drinks and pool at the Tease Bar at the hotel.
There is not much to do in Bentota which was ok for us as we were after a relaxing holiday. A few of the outings we had included:
• Temple with a huge Buddha statue. It was impressive and about a 10 minute journey by tuk tuk.
• Turtle sanctuary which is a few kilometres walk along the beach. Arjun enjoyed this a lot.
• Bentota market – it’s a few shops selling similar items. We didn’t purchase anything.
• Bentota river boat cruise and saw a few crocs and held a baby crocodile.
Our time at the Taj Bentota was most definitely one of our most relaxing holidays. The casual dress code, delicious food, not being over packed and the friendly staff who went over and beyond for us made it what it was!
Disclosure: This is a collaboration post in exchange for a double upgrade however all views expressed are my own.
